G/TBT/GEN/260  
 
2 May 2019 
(19-3031) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANI ZATION OF LEGAL METR OLOGY (OIML)  
RELATED TO THE WORK OF THE WTO TBT COMMI TTEE  
INFORMATION PROVIDED  BY THE OIML  
This document contains information provided by the OIML at the TBT Committee meeting of 
6-7 March  2019 under Agenda Item 5 (Observers).  
 
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The following recent activities of the OIML are of particular interest to the TBT Committee:  
 
1  ACTIVITIES FOR COUNT RIES AND ECONOMIES W ITH EMERGING METROLO GY SYSTEMS  
(CEEMS)  
1.  Since 2016, the O IML has run a number of training courses on various aspects of legal metrology.  
Several of these were funded and logistically supported by P.R. China under their initiative to 
establish an "OIML Pilot Training Centre ". More recently, other funding and orga nisational models 
have been explored, and courses have been run in Kenya and in Cuba with funding from the OIML 
and the PTB (the German national metrology institute).  The OIML is now formalising this process by 
establishing a framework document for OIML Tr aining Centres, with the intention of expanding the 
programme for such training under various donor funding models.  
2.  The OIML 's activities in favour of CEEMS  are overseen by an Advisory Group, which has 
established a workplan to ensure that the needs and concerns of these countries are prioritised 
throughout the Organisation 's work.  A secondee from P.R. China is currently working on the 
development and impleme ntation of this workplan at the Organisation 's headquarters.  
2  TECHNICAL WORK T RAINING  
3.  Over the last two years, t he OIML has conduct ed a total of nine training courses for secretariats 
and conveners of the OIML 's technical work . Two more courses to be held i n 2019, in Canada and 
in Europe, will complete the initial phase of this training, and a long -term plan will now be established 
to provide ongoing training to ensure that all secretariats and conveners are kept up to date . The 
intention of this training is  to improve efficiency in the development of OIML Recommendations,  and 
to ensure that this work  compli es with the Directives for OIML Technical Work . Since OIML 
Recommendations are models for technical legislation on regulated measuring instruments, their 
technical relevance needs to be maintained by keeping them up -to-date as efficiently as possible.  
Their relevance then ensures a high degree of consumer protection  as well as  a level playing field 
and the removal of technical barriers in domestic and inter national trade.  
3  OIML CERTIFICATION S YSTEM (OIML -CS) 
4.  The new OIML Certification System (OIML -CS) came into operation on 1 January 2018 , replac ing 
two previous s ystem s. The OIML -CS further helps in reducing technical barriers to trade in the area 
of measurin g instruments by enabling manufacturers to obtain OIML test reports and certificates for 
their instruments.  These can then be used to obtain national type approval, without further testing, 
in countries signatory to the System.  G/TBT/GEN/260  
 
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  4  NEW CIML FIRST VICE -PRESIDEN T AND BIML DIRECTOR  
5.  The 54th CIML Meeting in October 2018 appointed a new CIML First Vice President from the United 
States of America, and a new Director of the Organisation 's headquarters, the Bureau International 
de Métrologie Légale, from Autralia.  
6.  For further information, please contact  Ian Dunmill , BIML Assistant Director 
(ian.dunmill@oiml.org ). 
 
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